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Cindy Williams best known for her role in the 1970s sitcom "Laverne & Shirley" died at the age of 75

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"Laverne & Shirley" was a spinoff of "Happy Days" and ran from 1976 to 1983

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Williams played Shirley Feeney and starred alongside Penny Marshall who played Laverne DeFazio

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The show was among the highest-rated in the country for several years

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Williams appeared in over 150 episodes but left in the final season due to tension with Marshall

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Williams was a Valley Girl from Van Nuys California and became interested in acting in high school

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She was cast in "American Graffiti" and "The Conversation" before auditioning for the role of Princess Leia in "Star Wars"

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Later in her career she appeared on shows like "Law and Order: SVU" and "7th Heaven"

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Williams and Marshall were writing partners at Zoetrope a production company founded by Francis Ford Coppola

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Williams' death followed a brief illness and she is survived by her children Emily and Zak Hudson